Daily
news - 29th October 2018

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the funding allocated for substance misuse services in England by (a) local authority and (b) in total in each year since 2012 | They work for you, UK

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the financial effect of the increase in the cost of prescribing buprenorphine on the provision of substance misuse services | They work for you, UK

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to increase the number of (a) needle and syringe programmes for people with addictions and (b) people whom those programmes cover | They work for you, UK

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the advice on the efficacy of e-cigarettes as a stop smoking aid between Public Health England’s document entitled Stop smoking options: guidance for conversations with patients and NICE’s document entitled Stop smoking interventions and services guidance | They work for you, UK

[Shared article] The public now overwhelmingly backs the full legalisation of cannabis, according to a poll that suggests there has been a seismic shift in opinion since the government sanctioned medical use of the drug | The Times, UK

Although doctors will be able to prescribe cannabis products to patients from next Thursday, the mother of an autistic child who has campaigned for the law to change says she still has more to do | i news, UK

The Home Office have released 2018 statistics on alcohol and late night refreshment licensing in England and Wales, showing a further small but consistent rise in the total number of licensed premises. The release also includes a short consultation [pdf] on the statistical bulletin | Alcohol Policy UK, UK

Smoking is an expensive habit as it is - regardless of whether you're a full blown every day user or enjoy a few clickies on a boozy night out - most people have been shocked by the price | LADBible, UK

With the number of overdose deaths from prescription and illicit opioids doubling from 21,089 in 2010 to 42,249 in 2016, it’s critical that we continue to tackle this human tragedy from all fronts – including, and importantly, looking at new ways to increase the availability of naloxone | FDA, USA

Marijuana, both medicinal and recreational, is growing more mainstream. Medical marijuana is now legalized in a majority of states, and 62% of Americans support legalizing it outright — but in the political realm, the plant has long been controversial | TIME, USA

Getting behind the wheel after cannabis use is on the rise in the US, and THC, not alcohol, is now the most commonly detected intoxicant in US drivers. Detecting levels of THC, however, is challenging and the methods used so far cannot accurately determine a person's level of impairment | Medical Xpress, USA

Psychedelic drugs such as LSD have a profound impact on human consciousness, particularly perception. Researchers at Yale and the University of Zurich provide new insight into the psychedelic effects of LSD on the brain and potential therapeutic uses of the drug | Medical Xpress, USA

U.S. troops landed in Iceland last week ahead of the start the largest NATO military exercise since the Cold War, and apparently, they left their mark in the most appropriate way possible: by drinking every last beer in the nation’s capital | task and Purpose, USA

The study, from staff at University of Otago, Wellington, revealed that increasing the tax by 15 cents per standard drink would reduce alcohol sales by 4.3 per cent within 12 months | NZHerald, New Zealand

Today’s letter to the Times from a group of pain medicine consultants (reproduced below) is is an astonishing display of evidence-free ignorance from a profession that needs to challenge its own prejudice | Clear blog, UK

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